Roadless Rule Public Comment

[overthefalls]

The 21 day public comment for the repeal of the roadless rule opened today.

 You can comment here - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16581/special-areas-roadless-area-conservation-national-forest-system-lands

There are definitely arguments for both sides, but from a hunting/habitat perspective, this seems to be a bad deal. I am also curious where the money for this will come from.

https://dailymontanan.com/2025/08/28/want-more-elk-and-hunting-opportunities-keep-the-roadless-rule/

https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/public-lands-and-waters/trump-administration-rolls-back-roadless-area-protections

[timberfaller]

Done!

Thanks for the link!

[Moose Master]

This is important,  I will be sending a comment.   Thank you for the links.    Good luck to all this upcoming hunting season.

[GeoSwan]

Comment submitted, and sent to a few friends. This is scary stuff.

[overthefalls]

One week left to add comments, thanks for advocating!

[cjjcb]

Done!

Thanks for the reminder!

[Sundance]

I've been on the fence with this one. The groups/media I've seen for the "against" argument have been week IMO. For those here that are against rescinding the Roadless Rule, what's your reasoning? I have more respect for the member on this board vs the new Facebook group that I've never heard of. Honest question to hopefully educate myself more from fellow hunters/fishers.

[hunter399]

Sorry can't do it.
I know it's important for lots of folks,to have road less areas.
Too many people in my community rely on timber products to make a living. This rule keeps even more folks in the unemployment line or without work. We are one lightning strike from it all burning anyway.
The only habitat we are saving is for predators around the national forest near me. There is a population of wolves in this state,that don't get counted. Take a guess where they hide these wolves,in road less areas.

[overthefalls]

I'll share my point of view but preface it with the fact that I like to hunt and recreate in roadless area and am biased in my perspective.

1. Roadless areas support better habitat for native vegetation, ungulates, salmon and yes predators. The research is pretty consistent here, you can find exceptions but for the most part less disturbed habitat results in better conditions for wildlife.

2. The justifications given for the repeal of this rule seems disingenuous at best, bordering on deceptive. For example, saying that this will prevent fires flies in the face of of the data we have in fires. Most wildfires are started by humans and within a half mile of roads. Punching roads into more areas will result in higher use and more human caused ignitions.

The counterpoint - "well it will also allow for more thinning, fire prevention and suppression". I will give this point merit when we have adequate thinning and logging along our existing roads within federal land.

3. The existing USFS road system exceeds 265,000 miles and is one of the biggest road systems in the world. At this time it is under maintained and under resources. This creates a host of problems from squatting, illegal resource harvesting, habitat destruction, erosion, etc.. Where is the additional funding to build and maintain these roads going to come from?

A lot of my opinion is also being informed by organizations and outdoorsman that I trust and respect. Trout Unlimited, commercial fishing organizations, Meat eater all have made compelling arguments against the repeal.

If you are in favor of repealing it, I encourage you to comment. Public discourse is super important and I am interested in hearing other perspectives.

Edit: spelling

[cjjcb]

 
That’s pretty much where I’m at, but I could not articulate it nearly as well.

[bearpaw]

Thanks for the link, my comments are submitted:


I support the rollback of the rule. Since the roadless rule has taken effect:

1. Timber industry jobs have been lost and rural economies have been harmed.
2. Money from timber sales that used to fund the USFS is now sent to Canada to buy lumber.
3. Maintenance of forest roads is nearly non-existent due to lack of funds.
4. Forests have overaged, become bug infested, are dieing, and more susceptible to wildfire.
5. Predators have flourished due to a lack of access, to escape, deer and elk are now found in closer proximity to humans causing increased crop damage and vehicle accidents.
6. Aging forests do not provide quality feed for many forms of wildlife, logging does!
7. Lightning strikes are causing more frequent, larger, and harder to access wildfires that frequently burn into human inhabited areas.
8. Due to reduced access increasing numbers of recreationists are forced into smaller areas causing a less desirable outdoor experience for most outdoor recreationists.

In summary, removing this rule will provide jobs, benefit rural economies, improve forest health, result in increased numbers of deer and elk on the landscape, provide needed access for predator and wildfire control, help fund forest road maintenance, and result in more recreational access and less crowded experiences for the bulk of recreationists.

[jackelope]

How much accessible forest do we have now that is not being logged?

[Tbar]

How much accessible forest do we have now that is not being logged?

Complete false narrative.  Most of the merchantatable timber is in the accessible area, poorly managed but accessible.  This will create more wildfire risk and is about exploitation of public lands and will not build small town economies.  Mining and energy exploration/privatization is the root. 

[Boss .300 winmag]

How much accessible forest do we have now that is not being logged?

Just in Washington state I would say 7/8 of the forest service accessible lands that have open roads, or had roads isn’t being utilized.

But there’s a huge problem with the timber, if it’s over 30 inches in diameter most mills can’t mill it, and that’s a lot of what’s in the FS now. Over time the mills have down sized the machines that process the logs. Only two left that I know of in the puget sound that can mill what’s now called oversized logs, Buse and Canyon in Everett.

[hunter399]

No worries,road or no road.
All access is turned into pay to play.
So here soon ,we will all be holding hands and sitting on each other's laps,on state and federal land.

The parcel this sign is on, doesn't even come up on there website.
So it's just private,you can't even pay to hunt or it's leased to someone already.